AIA EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ILLUMINATION PROJECT LESSON PLANS Art of Illumination: Students Suzanne Hertzberg THE ARCHER SCHOOL FOR GIRLS LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

INTRODUCTION AND GOALS For homework you will, in small groups, observe, ana- In this project you will learn about the artistically beauti- lyze, and write briefly about examples of illuminated ful and culturally important world of medieval illumi- manuscripts that will be assigned to you. nated manuscripts. Then you will choose a medieval character to research and create your own illuminated Class 2: Report on and review elements of illuminated manu- manuscript representing your character’s name. Finally, scripts, choose your character, research your character you will summarize what you have learned from the pro- First, your small groups will present the analysis of their ject in a written report. assigned illuminated manuscripts to the class. Then, you will choose a character whose name you would like to illuminate. For inspiration, take a look at the list of possi- ble characters (see Character Choices handout). If you have another character in mind, talk to your teacher about your choice before proceeding. You may choose a ge- neric character name such as knight, friar, etc. (as Chau- cer does in his Canterbury Tales), or you might choose a specific historical or fictional character. Research your character using classroom, library, and internet sources (see Suggested Resources handout). In addition to research- ing the life or story of your character, you will research what colors, symbols, tools, instruments, or images are Figure 1. Coloring the decorative border associated with your character. How might you incorpo- rate these elements into the initial, miniature, and border The goals of this project are for you to: of your illumination? Be sure to keep a complete record  appreciate illuminated manuscripts as an art form of the sources you consult, noting down all the informa- and as an expression of medieval culture tion you will need for the MLA-formatted Works Cited  explore scholarly book and online sources for learn- list you will submit at the end of the project. ing about the Middle Ages

 deepen your knowledge about medieval social roles For homework, complete your research and design a and individuals, both historical and fictional rough thumbnail sketch (in pencil on a vertically-folded  understand the role of medieval religious institutions sheet of 8 ½” x 11” paper) showing how you would like in preserving and transmitting literacy your character’s name and the elements you wish to in-  experience the process of producing illuminated clude in your illumination to look. texts as authentically as possible

The following four elements are required for every stu- OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT dent illumination: This project will take place over the course of four class 1. large, decorative initial periods, broken down as follows: 2. miniature

Class 1: Introduction and background 3. border In class, you will learn about and look at many examples 4. text (in a medieval font) of the rest of the letters of illuminated manuscripts as well as examples of student in your character’s name projects from previous years. You will learn some terms that art historians use to analyze and describe the four Classes 3 & 4: Illumination Days elements of all illuminated manuscripts: On Illumination Day, your classroom (or another desig- 1. the large, decorated initial letter that introduces nated space) will be set up for you to create your own an important section of text illuminated manuscript. Your task is to come prepared 2. the miniature, an illustration that often relates to with your thumbnail sketch and to be willing to enter the text thematically into the spirit of day so that you can most authentically 3. the border surrounding the page experience the spirit of the medieval scriptorium or 4. the text itself workshop.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE of AMERICA 1 AIA EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ILLUMINATION PROJECT LESSON PLANS

You do not have to be a trained artist to create a beauti- ful illuminated manuscript! All the instruction and materi- als you need will be supplied, including templates and patterns to use, if you wish, as well as a supply of colored pens and books to inspire your creativity.

After you have completed your illuminated manuscript, your homework assignment is to write your curator’s report (see Curator’s Report Prompt handout).

ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE of AMERICA 2